From iSport's IPL Paddock, iSporter Sohel Topiwala shares his thoughts on Lalit Modi. Read this IPL special now!
A conversation between Lalit Modi and Jimmy Adams (West Indian batsman) at tea time during a Test Match in Barbados sometime in late 2007 –
Lalit Modi : What are you guys doing?
Jimmy Adams: Playing a Test match
Lalit Modi : What is the Test all about?
Jimmy Adams: Well, it’s a test between bat and ball
Lalit Modi : Really. Or is it between pads and ball !! (chuckles)
Jimmy Adams was left speechless. He was notorious for constantly using his pads to defend dull deliveries all day long to the extent he was nicknamed Jimmy Padams …..Yaawwwn!
Dwindling spectator interest in Test cricket, boring International games, lopsided contests, lack of close finishes, less sponsorship, near empty stadiums blah blah blah, unfortunately Cricket was going the hockey way ! And then came along the Moghul Modi to rescue the game at the right time. I say right time because the Gen X in India was being drawn towards European football in large numbers. Lalit Modi and T20 Cricket somewhat minimized that deflection.
Besides Cricket, Bollywood and some silly telly soap operas, there was not much entertainment floating around to satiate the huge Indian appetite for the big E. This is exactly where Modi struck. The amalgamation of Cricket, Bollywood and Corporate India was called the INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE. He roped in the who’s who of India. Mukesh Ambani (Chairman of RIL, Vijay Mallya (Head honcho of the UB Group), Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, the Wadias, Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, and several other big corporate entities tagged along. The media, due to the presence of these bigwigs lapped up the event and Modi became the darling of the media overnight
First was the glitzy player auction where all the cricketers were up on sale. In between was the sale of media rights for an astronomical amount and then the IPL-1 itself began with a big bang in Bangalore on 18th April, 2008.
Now, the IPL is essentially a formula that has been along the lines of the NBA (USA) and EPL (UK). It is essentially a franchise based model with a profit motive. However, a wise man once said “nakal karne ko bhi akal chahiye”. Modi replicated everything. Team names had a fancy second name, skimpily clad women became cheerleaders, stadiums got a mini face lift, games were held on a home and away basis, winners and runners up went to the more lucrative Champions League stage and so on and so forth.
The only thing that he did differently was that he cleverly customized the event to cater to Indian tastes by mixing Bollywood masala with cricket. Professionalism went out of the window and commercialization crept in. Nothing wrong with that I'd say! It brought in an altogether new audience - girls, women, housewives and men who despised cricket. For that month and half, life and business in India comes to a standstill thanks to the IPL! Who the hell would want to work anyway?!
Modi and IPL have given the entertainment starved Indian audience a domestic sports league that they long deserved. Earlier, cricket fans had to wait 2-3 years to watch their favourite players at an International game at the nearest stadium. Now, within 45 days they can go watch them 7 times (7 home games).
Modi has ruled the IPL and CLT20 with an iron hand. He is clearly the man who calls the shots. In a way, Modi resembles the might and economic power of modern India! He had the audacity to confront the Indian government and shift and organize IPL-2 in South Africa within a period of 3 weeks. I repeat 3 weeks! Stunning! And what a success IPL 2 was. What is Brand IPL without Brand Modi?
Of late, the man has taken to Tweeting like a duck to water. Not many media briefings anymore, he conducts business over the virtual world. Lalit Modi is so involved with the IPL and CLT20 that he is present in almost each and every game. That says a lot about the man!
However, not everything is hunky-dory. There are several issues yet to be addressed. Audiences who throng the stadiums are treated like jail inmates. Also, IPL needs a window in the jam packed International calendar and security always remains a perennial concern.
But knowing Lalit Modi, we don’t have to worry too much about these issues. They will all get sorted out. He has managed to strengthen the BCCI coffers and maintain BCCI’s position as the richest cricket body in the world. Cricket Boards and players of other countries are shit scared to take ‘panga’ with BCCI and him. I have nothing but grudging admiration for the man.
Love him or hate him, it’s hard to ignore him!
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Saurabh Joshi
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... Topi - This is by far the best start to an article ive ever come across... sets the tone for things to follow..Super flow... am sure you love the man for unorthodox approach...... He very recently gave a hint that world cricket needs to hire him to change the face of Test cricket....which am sure would have brought a wide smile to your face. I think Hats off to the guy... he single handedly made us forget that the origin of domestic T20 was England....  Although i think he can do a good of him self by not over doing things..... Way to go.... Keep writing mate... Cheers!! |
Kunal Ghate
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... I personally hate Modi, I have my reasons  and thats what made me read this article  Nicely written mate... I usually ignore cricket telecast like we flip through the ads pages in mid-day or mumbai mirror, but IPL is something that I watch & of course the Inda vs Pakis matches too... What I love about IPL is that its bloody entertaining even though Mumbai Indians hasnt even come close to winning the league. That brings the stupidness of IPL in my mind, IPL isnt really a league. How can you have semi-finals and finals in a league? But still, cricket wont sell if there wasnt a final to a tournament. And u r right, there is no professionalism in the game anymore, and music and half naked women and a gay guy dancing on each boundary and wicket is something the junta seems to like, but wait.... we never get to see em cos Set Max keeps shoving Ads in our face AND THE WORST OF ALL, JUST BEFORE THE FIRST MATCH STARTS, MODI COMES TO THE GROUND TO 'ANNOUNCE' THAT IPL HAS BEGUN... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT AN ASS!!!!!! |
Sohel Topiwala
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... @Saurabh - Thanks mate. Test ckt sure needs to hire him. Great point that nobody remembers that T20 has its origins in Eng. he man has a knack of adding drama to everything which is what Indians love the most i think. Overdoing? Yup, probably needs to guard against that. I think he comes across as arrogant too. Would be nice to mellow down. @Kunal - What about Champions League. Dont they have semis and finals too? Infact they have 2 more knock out rounds by way of the round of 16 and quarter finals. And yes, indians love the IPL coz its customised to our tastes. Tis year Iv been told that even the tickets are expensive. But then, expensive tkts and advertisement-filled telecasts are all part and parcel of a successful league. Modi does overdo things here and there but in the larger scheme of things, they're quite ignorable! |
a guest
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... good job top!!!!!!!!! just that u seem in awe of a man whose just pulled the right strings n replicated a successful model.... its not as simple as it seems...... n BCCI may i add also is by far the most corrupt boards !!!! im sure a lot of sports fanatics like u wud ahve thought of it......... so im not convinced tht its HIS idea n HIS formula!!!!! everything needs to have a face .. n hes been the chosen one for the IPL ... Anyways good luck with ur writing... glad to hear from u after long ! Ciao Ra |
Sohel Topiwala
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... Wow awsome its as if am reading a Hot Headlines Stories of a brand new magazine of Sports ... Omg Sohel ...its making me hungry for more n more ... - yahya |
Sohel Topiwala
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... loved the start..it really set the tone..what an engrossing read..nakal karne ko bhi akal chaiye huh?...nice.. but modi is a bitch..u really said it right..love him or hate him..its hard to ignore him..but i think he will soon meet his waterloo.. - ajit |
a guest
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... Brilliantly written. And the start was awsome. Really enjoyed reading it. Just be careful not to offend a Hockey fan. Hope to see more articles soon. |
a guest
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... Nice one, Sohel. Witty headline and a good article....personally, the IPL format has got my interest back into cricket...its like a three hour film...and not the day long affairs which is difficult to watch with so many priorities pulling you here and there. Am sure purists will disagree....but thanks to Modi. |
a guest
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... Nice one sohel bhai......Lalit Modi is a powerhouse....U,saurabh and nupur have really started something really nice here...keep em coming guys...best of luck... btw ur gonna catch IPL on you tube or u gonna take special paid channel for that in states... Nikhil bhatt |
a guest
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... Nice one, Sohel. Witty headline and a good article....personally, the IPL format has got my interest back into cricket...its like a three hour film...and not the day long affairs which is difficult to watch with so many priorities pulling you here and there. Am sure purists will disagree....but thanks to Modi. - Biji |
a guest
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... Topaz!! what an article sir. Sharp as a razor. the added hindi lingo makes it a great read. I gotta agree with you of the set up of IPL. its got all that a hindi blockbuster has...its like the late feroz khan's formula for hit movies...chase, dialogues, women, songs and fight scenes. and whoever says whatever abt ur reports ... well the reports are good...the reviewers dont get the point...just like nakal k liye aakal ...waise hi dekhne ka nazaria...and besides...work can never be so exciting as the IPL can it or can it neway...great going .. and keep it going!! big D |
Sohel Topiwala
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... @ Rahat – Im glad u have a strong opinion about modi. Yes he is both black and white in life. I personally believe that the league was arranged in a jiffy in response to the ICL. Just that it did not have the right backing. Nways Modi had everything going for him, but even to succeed then is not that easy. The stakes were big, risk bigger, rewards even bigger. It worked it clicked and that’s why we’re reading this article. Period ! @ Yahya - thanks for the kind words @ Ajit - Time will tell ! Thanks.. |
Sohel Topiwala
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... @ Gaurav – Kohli !! So good to hear from you. Hope u’ve managed to emerge unscathed from the barrage of snow! Thanks for the encouraging words my friend. Umm well I may write on hockey sometime too. Doesn’t help that they keep losing. But, at the end of the day, its our national game. We must respect it. Keep giving feedback my friend. Take care there ! @ Shanil - thanku buddy ! @ Nikhil – Thanks dude. We’re both gonna miss the action in Bombay. These guys are gonna have a blast visiting the pricey CCI for the IPL. Thanks for the kind words. We all will try and keep going as long as we can. Kindly keep giving suggestions and feedback at relevant times. Regards watching IPL, I have Direct TV here. I am gonna buy IPL package. Costs 100bucks for the entire season . However, a cheaper online substitute is available and you may wish to explore that. There’s this website called http://kingmedia.tv/home/index.php . Register and it gives access to all cricket, soccer and other sports for just $10 a month. Need to download a few things like winamp, codex etc. All safe. Clarity is superb ! I have been watching EPL using this website. Lekin cricket and IPL, I need to watch on my telly so will opt for the tv package. Lemme know if u need any help with getting started on kingsmedia. |
Sohel Topiwala
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... @ Vivek - thank u mr. avenger @ Shailin, Biji and Bhavin - I have responded to u'll on FB. @ Donny - If there is something called HITTING RIGHT BACK, then thats exactly what u have done..lol..Thanks a lot for taking time out to read and giving such feedback. When somebody points out to certain details within the article, thats extremely helpful. IPL akin to feroz khan movies..hahaha.. Dekhne ka Nazaria, wahh don wahh. Impressed with ur hindi ! Merci again ! |
a guest
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... Tops.... this your best one uptil now... cracking title to the article.... Mr modi is quite smart and influential .... he has revelutionise indian cricket.... everyone really looks forward to IPL every yr.... its very commendable that he could organise such a big tournament in India which involves big money, bollywood, corporates, international players and ofcourse those hot cheergirls...!! I really liked the way he gave back to players specially australians who were hesitant to play India for security reasons... bloody their own countries have similar issues....! Atleast in our country you will not find people breaching the secuirty and running naked on the ground.....!! It seems Modi is loving his job... and why not he has two of the hottest actresses i.e Shilpa Shetty and Priety Zinta to give him company... Sohel - you are getting better and better with every article of yours.... cheers..!! - Bhawik kamani |
a guest
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... Brilliant Debut Sohel. Keep writing. Pleasure to read, anything about sports! I had contemplated this since long, I will look upto u and put it into action post my exams in April Sameep |
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